Hopeful Days
by Hope Trinket
Summary: [FFXIII] - 14 - Hand - 'She'd definitely choose the present she lived now over the possibilities of the past..' - They say hope is refreshing, and in an odd, strange way, sweet as vanilla. - A collection of drabbles and one shots for Hope and Vanille.
1. Train

**Author Note: **Just an ongoing collection of drabbles and one shots for Hope and Vanille :) Sorry, Hope x Light and Fang x Light fans! I mean there may be side pairings... Eh. I'll think about it ;) And yay, I have come up with the most girliest fanfic name in the history of history.

* * *

Drabble 01:

:: :: ::

Train

:: :: ::

Training was not something Hope was a... large fan of, so to say. He didn't mind it, knew it was necessary (some things you just do) but sometimes he just had to be in the mood. And after a particularly nasty session with Fang that left him winded and pleading for mercy, he was quite hesitant for round two.

But his partner today was different.

"That way!" Vanille chirped, pointing to a small clearing. She grasped his wrist and pulled him towards their spot.

He thought Vanille would've been weaker due to her petite size...

Boy was he proved wrong.


	2. Fear

Drabble 02:

:: :: ::

Fear

:: :: ::

Vanille knew it was pointless to wish on the fireworks – her problems could not be easily solved - but she still did. She prayed for Fang, prayed she was all right. In fact, it was when she had turned her back on the pristine egg once containing explosive colours when she ran into him.

He was still shy, subconsciously leaning close to his mother, who excused them with a brief apology a smile.

She had assured them it was no big deal, and only when they were a distance's away had the settled loneliness inside her took toll.

She feared loneliness.

* * *

**Author Note: **I felt this was more Vanille focused than Hope x Vanille, and actually, I'm a bit displeased with how this turned out... Oh well.

Thanks to _wee kori L _for the fave and alert.

Hopefully this starts reeling in reviews soon...


	3. Plagued Dreams

One shot 03:

:: :: ::

Plagued Dreams

:: :: ::

He still has nightmares about that horrible, tragic day.

Sometimes he falls in his dreams, and his palms graze against the rough ground. He stands and scrapes litter his legs and forearms before he flees the scene, running away from the open maws of hungry flames. His breath becomes ragged with each step and he dares not look over his shoulder despite how loud fire screams in his ears, taunts him, _laughs _at him. He'll clamp both hands over the sides of his head and at times, his eyes will squeeze shut, teeth gritting.

After the first few times he's had this dream, he tells himself not to put a blind over his line of sight.

The broken road, the thick metal bridge wired with intricate designs of binding groans loudly before dipping to an open abyss. Gravity plays its part and the only land beneath people's feet sends them cascading down the incline, sprinkling them into inky nothingness. And along with their bodies, their screams are swallowed as well. As they collapse into a never-ending descent, the flames seem to _whir _with satisfaction before dissipating.

_But that always happens... As does-_

Hope gasps sharply as his eyes take in that scene againand _again_. His heart leaps into his throat, constricting his lungs with invisible hands and he's forced to _watch_. Forced to watch as Snow and Nora, _his mother, _dangle between a possible second chance, and death itself. His eyesight fails him even here (he can't make out what they're saying), but something that never goes by is the slipping of hands and Nora falling to her death. He knows it's a dream, repeats this like a mantra... But that still doesn't stop him from reaching out and screaming, eyes wide and line with tears _because he's just so damned tired of seeing this over and over and oh God just make it stop-_

"Wake up! Hope!"

He does so, jerking back to consciousness with a stiff inhale. His face is wet with shed tears (his sleep, again) when he looks into Vanille's eyes, jade irises glinting with worry. She asks him if he's all right, now on hands and knees. Lips quivering, he gives a shaky nod and he can't trust his voice. His skin is clammy from perspiration, sweat beading his forehead, blossoming across his entire being. And he's been crying again, waking up from her death for the tenth time – maybe even more.

And really, he's so tired of all these cracks because he's breaking down again. Curling in on himself and sobbing loudly, waking up the others. He feels Vanille wrap her arms around him, embrace tight as she pulls him close, hushing, "It's okay, it's okay" and his response consists of only whimpers. When the others call out to him (Snow's being the first and loudest), he's able to spit out "I'm fine" in between the suffocating jerks of his body. Though he can't bring himself to look at them, he knows Lightning gaze lingers on him the deepest.

She's seen him like this before...

And he feels ashamed she has to see it again.

It takes him a while to calm his nerves. But everyone's crowded around him, ushering him. It's both comforting and embarrassing. Because everyone else doesn't need to be pacified or treated like a kid. They've suffered losses too, so why? Why him?

* * *

The next day, he hears an argument between Fang and Snow...

"It isn't like _that_! He just needs to learn to adapt or else—"

"Or else _what_, Fang?" Snow snaps, glaring. "He's just a kid and he's the youngest here! Hope can fight! He's the strongest Ravager and it's not as if we're watching some defenseless animal! Maybe if you'd stop treating him like one and just—"

A harsh laugh. "_I'm _treating him like a 'defenseless animal'? You try looking in the mirror? You're providing him excuses and I get he's a kid, all right? But if he continues to let this eat at his mind, he's going to collapse, he's going to fall, and nobody is going to be able to help him _up_. Out here, it's every man for himself. You can't let your emotions bog you down because that's what gets us killed! One falls, another stops to help, and from there it all goes to hell! Soon, there's a chain reaction and before you know it, nobody's left!"

Snow's response is explosive, almost. Like a bomb going off. "So you're just saying he's supposed to suck it up and act as if nothing happened?" (Hope knows that, from Snow's perspective, this is hypocritical. But he's not going to correct this because Snow learned. He knows that sometimes things have to be faced before leaving them to die. Judging from the brief flash in the man's eyes, Hope can speak for Snow when he says he just ate his own words.) "That may have worked solo, Fang, but with other people on the team, _nobody _gets left behind. It's either all of us, or _none_! We're friends, _family_! We stick together!"

The woman shoves past him roughly, teeth grinding, red wood staff gripped tightly in her right hand. "I don't _have _a family... Especially not you lot." She whispers acidly before marching off towards the Yaschas Massif.

Had this argument occurred earlier, Snow may have challenged her... But Hope knew that like everyone else, he's learning. And he's starting to think rationally. He's not the type to one out and pick a fight at this point. Like everyone else, Snow knows there's work to be done and that goes before trivial quarrels within a group.

Hope backs away from the clearing, suddenly sick in the stomach.

_That fight... yeah, it's my fault._

* * *

"Hey... Sorry about last night."

"Why are you apologising, silly?" A giggle and his stomach does a little... flip-_thing _as her lips curve into a smile. A _real _one. "It's okay! We all have bad dreams, you know? Nothing to worry about." She hugs him again (it's firm and nowhere near like the one from last night, but it's more of a reassurance than anything else). "Now how about we go meet back at camp? I'm sure everyone's waiting for us." And before he can halt her energised spirit, she's bounding off.

_You do know that if you're upset too...  
You can talk to me, right?_

* * *

**Author Note: **I felt this was a lot more Hope focused than Hope x Vanille, but hey, Vanille got her little share in chapter 2, so I guess it was only fair game. And the whole Snow and Fang argument was completely uncalled for and I didn't even know I was writing it until it was actually happening.

I feel that since Fang and Light are so similar, Fang would be in that mindset that Hope needs to suck up his emotions and keep moving on. With Light though, she knows the whole Nora subject is very touchy and sensitive to Hope, and after trusting him, getting to know him, she's nowhere near as harsh as she was in the beginning. Fang, on the other hand, not only grew up in a similar mindset as Lightning, but didn't really focus on psychological issues as much. She just focused on survival, Vanille. So I feel that since she had to pull along Vanille too, she had to just push everything off.

And yes, Snow contradicting what he said to Fang was intended. I feel that after the episode with Hope, he would start to look at the problem at hand before automatically making a decision. But this is kind of hard to explain, so just… let it be. If you want further emphasis, just... I'll message you.

This one shot mirrored my first one shot "Crack" but instead of Lightning, it was Vanille.

On a side note: Lightning Returns E3 Trailer 2013 has come out! And let me say that the trailer was the main inspiration for this chapter... (Snow played a large part in it and if you watch the trailer, I'm sure you'll be able to connect the dots). In any case, they pushed the western release date (and Japan for that matter), but oh well... At least it's not cancelled because of whining fans, you know?

Thank you to _kaibasgirlx _and _TheBlueCrystal _for the awesome reviews!

Thank you to _kaibasgirlx _for adding this fanfic to favourites and alerts.


	4. An About-Face

Drabble 04:

:: :: ::

An About-Face

:: :: ::

Vanille hummed lightly, tapping a finger to her chin in thought. She had taken to pulling aside Hope for a little trivia game. The goal: Say a word to person B, person B responds with the first thing that comes to mind.

"Yellow!" she exclaimed, grinning.

He swallowed before mumbling, "Chocobo…"

"Okay... Um... Water." Vanille supplied, attention averting to an adjacent flower by her thigh.

No response.

"...Hope?"

...

"...Drowning."

She blinked before averting her gaze to her friend. "Drowning?" she echoed, but he was all ready on his feet, running away from her concerned cries.

'_What...'_ she wondered. '_Just happened...?_'

* * *

**Author Note: **So for those who didn't know, I've been roleplaying as Hope on tumblr as hope—estheim and I came up with the headcanon that he has aquaphobia... And the past event that resulted in this said phobia will be revealed in the next chapter or possibly in a fanfic :)

Thank you to _kaibasgirlx _and _TheBlueCrystal _for the reviews! You two are awesome, you know that? I'll get to responding to PMs and these reviews as soon as I can! Thanks for being patient!

And Téa, I looked back at that last line you mentioned and no, that is not a direct quote from either character. It was meant to be Hope saying that since the chapter was told in his perspective (and I try to avoid third person omniscient). Sorry it wasn't clear! D:

Oh, and fellow readers: You can all blame Snow for the angsty chapters. Lightning Returns trailer is epic, but Snow's lines and his regret… Ouch, my feels... :(


	5. Separate Silence

Drabble 05:

:: :: ::

Separate Silence

:: :: ::

He comes by the pillar every so often.

She still watches over her friends in stasis. Though they cannot hear her words, cannot respond, and cannot feel her.

But that doesn't stop him from muttering soft words as he places a tentative hand at the pillar's base, feeling smooth and cold texture.

He tells her of New Bodhum, his father, and sometimes slips about his wellbeing.

At times, his voice hitches and her heart sinks. She's unable to reach out, embrace him. Sometimes, she can feel Fang's conscious probing at her own, whispering, "It'll be all right...".

Vanille nods silently.

* * *

**Author Note: **Fanfic is being a butt right now and I can't reply to PMs because "408 Request Timeout" page keeps popping up and gah! Stupid site broke my streak of updating every day thanks to their "Request Timeouts and issues" -_- Double update it is.

In any case, I'm sorry this was not the chapter most of you guys were expecting. I want the whole 'aquaphobia' thing to be a one shot rather a drabble, and all I could think of when I wrote this was just... drabbles *hides*

Téa, I'm sorry, but I had to respond on tumblr because FFN was giving me the middle finger. So in short, yes, you can use the game idea for a fanfic :) Thanks!

Thank you to _kaibasgirlx _and _TheBlueCrystal _for the reviews!

Thank you to _TheBlueCrystal_, _Cocoon02, _and _The Simplest of Hearts _for the faves!

Thank you to _Cocoon02 _and _The Simplest of Hearts _for the alerts!

Now if only some of my silent readers could step forward that'd be great...


	6. Eat it!

Drabble 06:

:: :: ::

Eat it!

:: :: ::

She pressed the... _substance _closer to his lips.

"Eat it!"

"W-Why don't you just use Cure or Esuna?" Hope stammered, blushing at the close proximity. It didn't help that she was practically on his lap...

"_Because_ we don't need high magic to break a _small_ fever!" She pushed. "Open."

"Mmm-mmm!"

"_Hope_!"

"Mmm?"

Vanille looked over his head, face transforming into something akin to fear.

He turned only a millisecond, lips parting to utter 'what' before she shoved the slimy-looking plant into his mouth. Hope gagged but swallowed the... herb-thing regardless. She let out a triumphant 'Woo-hoo!' and he pouted childishly.

* * *

**Author Note: **You know when you have a minor sinus infection and you act as if it's the end of the world and want to cure it quickly but your friend insists on you taking this disgusting OTC drug instead? That... didn't happen to you guys? ...Okay, never mind :) This drabble along with the 'aquaphobia' one is going to branch off into their own one shots and I may have them go hand in hand. Whether they become a part of this fanfic or separate one shots is kinda... unknown, but if you guys have any ideas, do tell :)

Unfortunately, I ran out of time for a one shot, but I saw that my profile just hit 1k views and ten people on this site have me on their favourites list, so I thought I'd celebrate by updating this for you guys even though I already updated today :) Special thanks to all the readers of my fanfics (particularly this one) and the people who I PM and BS with :P

Thank you to _CherishedTenshi, TheBlueCrystal_, and _kaibasgirlx _for the reviews!

Thank you to _Cherished Tenshi _for the fave!

Thank you to _Cherished Tenshi _for the alert!


	7. Mutter

Drabble 07:

:: :: ::

Mutter

:: :: ::

Despite blue-green eyes to silver tresses, the voice stood out the most.

He mumbled and muttered a lot. At times, the others would tell him to speak up, but she didn't particularly mind. She liked that despite how soft spoken he was, he was still capable of conveying emotions – optimism, anger, sadness.

Rarely does he ever raise his voice – and she likes that.

But what she likes most is how that quiet tone carries out his namesake to the people he loves and cares for. Hope's voice would give feel – determination, encouragement – to the phrases that rolled off his tongue.

* * *

**Author Note: **Have not updated this in what feels like ages… I have been busier than I was before – awesome, huh? :D *headdesk* And after seeing my tumblr dashboard filled with all this Hope x Light stuff, I need my Hope x Vanille dosage... God, why is this pairing so unloved?!

Anyway... Yeah, I'm slowly getting to responding to reviews... I'm still lagging on reviewing, and because of a certain someone, I also have a birthday gift to write ;) Nothing wrong, but it's definitely going to be late (now, obviously) thanks to time and work...

Good news? Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy XV (previously named Final Fantasy: Versus XIII), and Lightning Returns are all coming out this year. And guess who doesn't have the money to buy them _and _their freaking consoles? You guessed it; c'est moi! XD College first, guys... Don't spoil if you play them before me!


	8. Were you joking?

Drabble 08:

:: :: ::

Were you joking?

:: :: ::

Hope was devious.

Behind that little shy demeanor was a little brat with a sneer, a kid. And she really shouldn't regard him like that – cheeky grin and eyes light – but she does anyway. And though he was joking, it still... affected her, somehow.

No one ever complimented her... "smile" in Oerba. Whether Hope was screwing with her head or not, nobody of opposite sex said anything... _nice_. Business this, business that.

She watches his back, eyes sad. The words lodge in her throat and she swallows them back down. He doesn't hear her mute, "You weren't joking, were you?"

* * *

**Author Note:** Takes place after that one cutscene where Hope compliments her smile.

I'm considering bulk-replying to reviews... I'm lagging pretty bad online, guys, and though it may not seem like it, I'm freaking upset and I really don't know why... *sigh* There needs to be another one shot chapter here soon... Good God, I'm so freaking slow and all this work and plans is really getting to my head, and I'm going to shut up now and just end it here...

Oh, if you guys could, please vote on the poll on my profile. That decides the next fanfic that will either be a **collection of one shots and vignettes (not drabbles meaning no 100 worded chapters) **for post XIII (excluding XIII-2; therefore somewhat Alternate Turn), or a **chapter fanfic AU **focusing on Hope and Vanille. Whether I put that in this archive of XIII-2 is undecided.

I forgot to thank reviewers in the last chapter, so let's try this again:

Thank you to _cracked teacup_, _kaibasgirlx_, Cocoon02, and _TheBlueCrystal_ for the reviews. You really don't' know how much these mean to me right now.


	9. A Slip and You're Toast

Drabble 09:

:: :: ::

A Slip and You're Toast

:: :: ::

It all started on a clear day on Pulse, sitting next to Fang and Vanille.

Vanille had jumped up cheerfully, exclaiming she'd be right back before scampering off towards the wildlife.

And then there were two.

"...Hey, kid?"

"Huh?"

Now Hope was a young boy of fourteen. So when Fang reared on him, eyes an inferno of green flames, he gulped, leaning back from the close proximity.

"You like her, don't ya?"

"V-Vanille? N-No, she's j-just—"

"I'm warnin' ya once: You make one little slip, make 'er cry, and you're toast. Adamantoise meat, we clear?"

"Crystal."

She grinned. "Good."

* * *

**Author Note: **So. No review replies, no PMing... I've been gone from this site for a while now... And I hate to say it, but I'm considering moving t AO3. I do have this fanfic posted all ready, but I'm thinking of changing it to another account.

That being said, I'm not sure how long I'm going to be on this site... I'm considering leaving my fanfics up, but I'm moving to LJ and AO3... or rather considering it. So if you guys still want to keep up with what I have, let me know and I'll message the urls and everything... If not, then just look for updates here if I decide to post on this site again.

And reason why I'm doing this? I'd really rather not get into it right now, so wait a bit, please?

This was supposed to be a one shot, but ran out of time. Again. And I'm trying to focus on my original story, so it's kinda hard to keep everything in one place ya know?

Overall, the drabble was fun to write, and I was just playing around with the characters a bit. So this one is less serious than the last few.

Thank you to _kaibasgirlx, Cocoon02, _and _TheBlueCrystal _for the reviews!

**If you haven't done so all ready, please vote on the poll on my profile! I'm still going to upload that fanfic here!**


	10. Age

One shot 10:

:: :: ::

Age

:: :: ::

When he was younger, Hope wasn't all that concerned about his age. He was young and naïve; the two practically went hand-in-hand. Being at the sensitive age of fourteen was, to him, indifferent. He didn't wrap himself up in the "certain age or no can do" buildings or parties, he didn't have anyone to compare to in school, and really, it was just a friggin' number. Two digits, a name (and an embarrassingly short height), just something that was there for the sake of being. Yup. No concern. Nothing.

But the meat in his mouth suddenly goes dry as cardboard as Fang rambles senseless about Oerba's culture.

Sazh had asked a rather innocent question: "So... How different is Oerban culture to Cocoon?"

Thus began a whirl of the "this and that's" of Oerba. Vanille had chipped in every now and then (she adored the culture as well), but Fang had spoke the most. She covered everything from the arts to music, and down to a topic dreaded by most Oerban females: Love and marriage.

"...The thing is, they're not arranged marriages, yeah? They're similar to Cocoon's customs, but ya gotta make careful note of the ages." Fang says, embedding her spear into the hard ground. She narrows her eyes at a scoff, giving the source of the noise a rather dirty look.

"Since when did age become such a big deal?" Snow looks rather... disgusted at the mention of age. "If you love someone, who cares how old they are? I'm older than Serah by three years..." Lightning glances briefly at her friend, a silent warning: Snow, shut the hell up "...and we're married." His trademark grin stretches across his face, eyes glinting with amusement. "Or... _will _be married."

Fang exhales heavily, gaze averted to the sky as she leans back on her palms. "You might want to let me _finish _before castin' your vote." Her tone is a tad more serious when she picks up, locking gaze with Snow. "The thing is Pulsian women aren't allowed to marry a man that's younger than them. You may find it to be an odd concept, but if ya think about it, men aren't really the most mature. Someone older usually has more knowledge. So it's not that they can't be friends, but they certainly can't get married or be a couple."

And now his whole meal is spoiled so Hope sets aside the food leaning forward, forearms rested on knees, palms cupping chin. It is the only thing that can prevent from regurgitating, suddenly sick and wishing he were someplace else. Because he was sensitive to this sort of topic but now it's escalating into something awkward and he's unsure of his feelings because hello? He's a fourteen year old boy pumped up on raging hormones and for some reason can't stop glancing at Vanille...

"Yeah, but..." Snow points at Hope and right now Hope just wants to take his boomerang and shove it down this "hero's" throat for putting the spotlight on him. "Hope is the youngest here, right? And he hangs out with Vanille. Isn't that technically 'going against' your culture?"

Now Fang looks ready to pummel Snow with the closest object. "No. I said _marriage_ and as far as I'm concerned..." She moves her finger from Vanille to Hope. "These two aren't gettin' together in _that _way. We're all friends here; let's try not to move into anybody else's pants, all right?"

Lightning chokes on her food, Snow attempts to scoot back only to slip off the slab of rock, Sazh throws his hands up and shouts, "Hey, hey!" with Chocobo kwehing in agreement. Vanille gasps, cupping her cheeks and blushing. Hope swallows the bile that rises in his throat and he lowers his head, hoping the bandana veils the obvious red that rises to his face. And he's not disgusted with Vanille, but come on, Fang... Oh, and speak of the devil, she's doubled over, clutching her sides and choking on laughs.

"All right, all right, I think that's enough talk about culture," Light concludes, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "We have to get moving tomorrow, so let's—"

Snow gently punches her shoulder, knowing well that if he hits her full force, she'll carve him like a ham. "C'mon, sis, don't be such a killjoy." He chuckles, the only one aside from Fang herself who found this situation... entertaining.

With a roll of her eyes, Lightning nudges him back. "I'm _not _your sister."

The flames of their small fire begin to dwindle as banter continues. He's the only one not engaged in conversation with another. But he does notice Vanille. She's flustered, Fang's smiling, grinning like a wolf. She ruffles the younger girl's head affectionately and stands, ripping her weapon out of the earth before setting it down in front of them.

He sighs, feeling sudden dejection creeping up his spine.

_But why does he feel like this?_

Sleep avoids him like the plague.

He's curled up on his side, facing rolling seas of grass, Pulse. Somewhere out there lies Oerba, an abandoned village. Hope knows there are no more survivors there, but that doesn't stop Fang's earlier words from probing at his mind. His heart pangs agonizingly and he sighs softly, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to coax his mind to sleep. Come tomorrow, if he isn't awake or prepared, he was Pulse food. And he'd get a nasty lecture from Fang... After the night's talk, he really wasn't in the mood for nagging.

Vanille's figure rose and fell from soft breaths. Her eyes were closed, face devoid of the smile that usually graced her features in daytime. She's peaceful, and Hope doesn't want to disturb by rousing her from sleep. He's facing her, she's facing him, and they're not even all that close. Yet he still cringes back, keeping his gaze from wandering her body.

It doesn't really hit him until now, but Fang's talk about the marriage and relationship between a male and female Oerban really... bothered him. There was not one drop of Oerba in his veins, but still... That didn't excuse him from getting so worked up over such a simple topic. What confused him was Vanille. He couldn't stop thinking of her when the 'love' issue was brought to life.

He was pretty sure that they weren't getting married. It was a very silly concept. Yet his age, the one thing that never bothered him, started poking him. It taunted him with incoherent words, but they still got the feeling across: He felt like absolute crap.

A chill grazes the camp, scraping its nails along his shuddering figure. His breathing becomes shaky and he curls into himself more.

_You're smitten..._

The voice sounds like Fang, but she's asleep too.

_There is no chance..._

He knows. Even if it weren't for Oerba customs, it was always out of the question.

_Forget about it._

He tries.  
_He doesn't._

* * *

The sun beats down on his back and he struggles to focus in battle. His clothes are drenched in sweat and his hair is plastered to his forehead. He feels utterly disgusting even after runs a hand down his face. No matter how many Blizzaga's he's used in battle, the cold always dissipates as soon as it swirls away from his hands.

White, cold air dances along his fingers, winding their tendrils and touching the gloved hand ever so gently. His hand closes around an icy hot sphere. He doesn't cast a glance, feels the ridges and bumps as they prick the leather concealing soft flesh. Swinging his arm up, bring it down – the Blizzaga swiftly darts into the battle, hitting the Behemoth in the chest before exploding into an elegant chandelier.

Their enemy shrugs off the spell as if it's nothing and Hope winces, drawing back. He doesn't know why but his spells are faltered, clumsy and weak. Fang narrows her eyes his way and he shrugs slightly, refusing to meet her gaze. It's not his fault, really...

...and she's a little ways off, whipping her arm as a grand ball of fire leaves her grasp. An inferno explodes at the Behemoth's feet, flames licking at elongated claws and toes. He swoons, lowering his head. Staggered. And she smiles, eyes bright when the spell turns the tables for their stubborn foe.

"...mando!"

He can't look away as she raises her binding rod in the air, one foot lifting from the ground as she switches role, preparing an entirely new spell from a completely separate class.

"_Hope_! Dammit, _listen_! Switch to Commando!"

Oh God he _sucks _with physical attacks and Ruinga is not his favorite.

And before they know it, the Behemoth is rearing on its hind legs, roaring ferociously as it unlatches a blade, new energy flowing into its veins. It grins, the way a behemoth would grin, before rampaging straight to Hope.

He gasps sharply, taking a step back only to stumble and land rear first on the prickly grass. His mind screams for Ruinga, screams for the white energy that courses through his mind, but its stubborn.

It does not come.

A scream tears from his lips and he flinches away as the sword blocks out his view of the sun...

Fang retaliates, standing between the Behemoth and its intended target. She's holding the front, grinding her teeth as she strains against the sword crushing against her lance. "Do I have to do _everything_?!" She snaps at the astonished boy, glaring. Fang lashes back with her leg, nailing him in the stomach and the air rushes out of him, sending him flat on his back. He looks up at her, startled and slightly offended.

"Don't just stand there! _Do something_!"

Violent zephyrs of wind tear at their clothes, ripping against the rough hide of the behemoth. An Aeroga. She's switching to another class, one she's more skilled in. He follows suit, discarding Ruinga and physical, trading them for elements.

Hope pushes himself to his feet, boomerang jittering violently in his hands. He whips his head at Vanille and she nods steadily. Hope returns the gesture, pulling back his arm before sending another Blizzaga spell, Vanille casting Firaga.

It turns the tides as the magic slams into its exposed back. The Behemoth retracts his sword, growling as he turns on both Ravagers.

Fang lunges forward with a scream, spear swinging violently as it slashes against its already-damaged back. She huffs, black hair strewn from the recent air attack. Leaping back from the danger, she swings her arm, casting Ruinga and Ruin's. "When will this damn thing _die_?" She scowls, rolling out of the way of another attack.

"_Fang! Hope, Vanille!_"

Lightning, Snow, and Sazh are charging into the scene, weapons drawn.

Snow bounds forward, springing into the air before slamming his fist downwards, creating a crater as the ground coughs up chunks of mass. The Behemoth roars in agony and Snow casts a Blizzaga of his own before Lightning charges in, the sharp swings of her Gunblade accommodating with her twirls and flips. To the side with Vanille and Hope, Sazh fires at the monster, practically lighting it up as different elements lunge forth from the barrels.

With one final slash of the blade and stab of the spear, the monster crumples, dead. Its last breath is a weak growl.

Hope breathes out heavily, heart slamming against his ribcage. He's only just regaining his breath when he's suddenly being jerked forward by the front of his shirt, surprised and frightened eyes meeting ire green. Vanille cries out, covering her mouth as she takes in the scene.

"Hey, Fang! Cut it out!" Snow calls, lunging towards the clearly angry woman. Both Light and Sazh express their surprise with about equal responses.

"Fang, calm down."

"Hey now, there's no need for that."

"What the hell were you doing? Daydreamin'?" Fang pushes him away violently, as if he's the filthiest thing she's ever laid hands on. "You could've gotten us killed! Dead! Is that what your intention was? When you're fighting, in battle, you need to be on your guard. You need to put aside emotions, and focus on the task at hand!"

He nodded numbly, not in the mood to retaliate. He knew she was right even though he didn't want to admit it. To be honest with himself, Hope couldn't even say what just happened in the past fight.

"That's enough, Fang. Let's just—" Snow stumbled back from her sudden shove before she walked away, back to their current camp. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Sazh placed his weapons back in their holsters while Lightning sheathed her gunblade. She walked over to Hope, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," He glanced up at her, eyes defeated. "Don't worry about it. Fang just... she needs to breathe." Lightning looked over her shoulder at the rest of the group. "We should be getting back. It's too dangerous for us to be wandering around."

Vanille was the only one who kept her eyes on Hope's the longest before she followed the crowd. She beckoned Hope forward, gaze sad. "Come on, Hope..." she whispered, reaching out a hand.

He took it, muttering 'thanks'.

_You may find it to be an odd concept, but if ya think about it, men aren't really the most mature. Someone older usually has more knowledge..._

Age continued to haunt him that day, pointing spidery, skeletal fingers at his retreating back.

_You worry for something not worth worrying about at all_.

* * *

**Author Note: ***sigh* Lovely angst :) This was going to be longer, but I was distracted by some offline things. But it was nice to write for "Hopeful Days" again :) I miss my Hope x Vanille and I don't have as much time for reading fanfics because I've added too much onto my reading list -_-

By the way, I tried changing my writing style a bit, so I'm sorry if you guys were a bit confused as to why sentences weren't nearly as bulky.

Thank you to those who voted on the poll! :D Though most said "Other" and I didn't get a PM :/ So... I ended up choosing a fanfic. And it's currently halfway done, so I should be uploading it soon. I have told Crystal (TheBlueCrystal) about the fanfic in advance, but for those who don't know: This fanfic that I'm about to unleash is serious business. And it's also why I disabled PMs on this account.

I will still reply to reviews and PM you guys, but only with a different account. I have PMed everyone on my friends list and I'm about to get to my silent readers of this fanfic. So those who I've messaged, you know the name of the account so continue to message me there :)

Thank you to _Cherished Tenshi_, _kaibasgirlx, _and _TheBlueCrystal _for the reviews!


	11. Guna Re

Drabble 11

:: :: ::

Guna Re

:: :: ::

Vanille liked to hum.

She'd hum a little tune to herself outside of battle, a harmonic melody vibrating from her lips. And maybe it's a bad thing to just sit and watch her rather talk, but he can't bring himself to speak.

One day, she catches him.

"What're you doing here, Hope?"

"I, uh..." he fesses up: "I heard you..."

She stares at him blankly.

"...humming. What was it?"

Vanille giggles. "Oh, just this old song we used to sing in Oerba." She grabs his hands. "Wanna learn it?"

Hope swallows, blushing slightly. "S-Sure... I'd like that."

He learns fast.

* * *

**Author Note: **Title is Hindi and it means "Hum this Song". And this, along with "Fear" is the only drabble that will have a major impact in future chapters in this fanfic and elsewhere.

Dear readers: I'm putting a lot more time into **The Savior **than I am with this fanfic lately, so if you want recent news, on fanfic status, might be best to check on that fanfic (especially when it gets updated). But yeah, **The Savior **is in the FFXIII-2 archive for the time being, but I'm not sure where it's going to end up... Hopefully by chapter 2 I'll have a resolve *sighs*

Oh, and **enchanted teacup**? Thanks for pointing out the change in tenses :P I still have to fix that... gah...

Thanks to _TheBlueCrystal, Cocoon02, kaibasgirlx, enchanted teacup, _and _white tiger _for the lovely reviews!

Review response to **white tiger**: I know, it's such a shame there are so little fanfics for these two! D: There's a lot of Hope x Light but not nearly enough Hope and Vanille... But thank you so much! :D I'm glad you're enjoying this fanfic so much, mate :)

Thank you to _Rhyme13kh14xion8 _for the fave! :)


	12. Breathe

One shot 12:

:: :: ::

Breathe

:: :: ::

_I can't breathe._

The very thought slips into his mind as he kicks wildly at endless depths. His hands reach for the surface, clawing desperately for the bright, burning sun. But the more he reaches, the more he kicks and tries to fight the suffocating, suppressing pressure, the faster he sinks... the closer death gets. The water pricks at his eyes like thousands of needles, and despite how little he's inhaled, his nose stings and burns with an intensity greater than hungry flames. And the pain alone, the one that consumes and blocks out his senses, plugs his ears, is enough to plunge him into a endless mess of panic.

He coughs, but it's a mistake.

Invisible hands shove the liquid into his mouth as the air escapes in forms of jellyfish-sized bubbles. It slides down his throat, diving into his lungs and cutting off his air supply. Each inhale – _he's too panicked to think of consequences, he's gonna die, he's gonna – _pulls the water into his form, pooling uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach.

Blackness creeps into the corners of his vision, and he feels the energy dissipate from his body. Fading. He is unable to breath anything but water by the time he's turned over into a black abyss, sleeping in death's clawed hand.

He sees _her _behind closed lids...

She's holding her hand out to him, smiling like she always did when they were together. She's donning the same outfit before she fell to her unfortunate death.

_Did you miss me, mom?_

* * *

"_Hope_!"

Her scream pierces the air, frightening even her. And God she wishes Fang and the others were here – _any _of them. But before this had happened, she had insisted to the others that they'd be completely fine on their own, that it was okay to leave them behind for a bit. Watch camp. Sullya Springs was not a safe haven, but it was the place with the least amount of enemies (from what it seemed). It was... saf_er_ than the Yaschas Massif.

_But he _fell_._

Got too close to the water...

And before she knew it...

He lost his footing and was swallowed by murky depths.

She had immediately snapped up, tears springing to her eyes as she took her steps closer to the edge.

She plunges her hand into the waters, wincing from the cold. But her fingers grasp nothing. And she isn't sure of swimming, doesn't know how. There was a wide lake near Oerba and she went down with Fang a few times, but would it be enough to pull someone up...? Pull a deadweight back to the surface and fight the crushing pressure? She didn't know... and she _didn't _have time to think.

Vanille dives into the pit, and her vision is immediately shaded by inky darkness. She whimpers slightly, but pushes on, kicking with her legs, hands groping for cloth, an arm... _Anything_.

She's unable to feel anything for a while and her tears mix in with the water of Sullya. But she refuses to give up, hands waving wildly now, frantic-

-her fingers graze fabric.

Her heart beats and she fights against the water, running her hand higher until she feels an arm beneath her grasp. A mixture of relief wells in her chest and she grabs the other limb, the water using the advantage of double weight to tug her down. But Vanille knows she's stronger, and she proves this by kicking viciously, wrapping her left arm around his midsection and pulling up with her right. The hand breaks the surface of the water followed briefly by Vanille herself, gasping for air desperately. She glances down at Hope – _his eyes are closed, oh no _– and without a second thought, tugs him on shore with a strained cry.

Vanille falls to all fours, wheezing and sputtering. She coughs up the invasive liquid, catching her breath in seconds, and turns to Hope. The girl scrambles closer, lowering an ear to his mouth, wet hair coils grazing his face. Her heart skips a beat when she doesn't feel an exhale, a sign of breathing. Vanille jerks back in shock, covering her mouth as tears flow from her eyes, sliding down her fingers. She shoves aside her shock and doubts, immediately pressing down on his chest, hoping she remembers CPR. Fang had taught her when they were younger, but Vanille hadn't paid nearly as much attention. Now she wished she could go back in the past and replay the event. Listen intently and pay damn attention.

All her life she never thought she'd have to do the saving...

...but this proved her wrong.

"Hope... Hope, _please_!" her voice cracks, the corner of her lips tug downward to accommodate the massive sob that tears past her lips. "You can't die... You just _can't_... What will Light and the others think? What about Snow? You two," She's interrupted by a sudden inward jerk. "Y-You both came so far." The more she mutters, the more she forgets the steps... _the more she _panics. She grasps frantically at the memory, screaming at it to stay, to _help_. But it eludes her and she's alone. Vanille pushes down on his chest one final time before tilting his head back. She breaks into another sob but viciously wipes at her eyes with her hand. She can't cry now. She had to be strong.

_You... You said it made you happy when I smiled._

_Please Hope, don't leave... (don't leave _me_). I... I'll smile more if that's all it takes. Just please, please..._

Vanille places her lips over his, breathing air into his mouth before applying more pressure to his chest. _One, two, three..._

She breathes more air into him.

_One, two, three..._

The fact that their mouths are touching doesn't faze her mind. Worry and panic constricts her too much, blocks off all senses.

_One, two, three..._

His lips are soft but _freezing_... It spurs her on, chest compressions becoming more desperate.

_One, two, three..._

This was all her fault, all her fault-

_One, two, thr-_

He coughs suddenly and rolls onto his side, away from her, as the water expels from his mouth, dribbles down his chin in messy rivulets. His fit ends but not before choking gasps vibrate his entire body. When there's not one drop left, he rolls onto his back, eyes clenched shut, panting. But he slowly reopens his gaze when her sobs weave through his ears. He blinks slowly, taking in the _absolutely broken _look on Vanille's face. Hope reaches for her slowly, her name escaping in only a weak whisper.

"Vanille..."

She pulls his hand to her face, head lowering, face scrunched as she lets the tears fall. His fingers gently brush away the tears that spade through their coverings and it only makes her cry more, but she doesn't feel nearly as miserable. Just relieved.

* * *

"We're not leaving you two alone again..."

Vanille cringes as if she's been slapped. She looks wearily at Fang, eyes gleaming with guilt and regret. "I'm sorry..." A soft whisper emanates from her lips. "I shouldn't have said anything... I was just... I just wanted to..." _talk with him_. The words die in her mouth before they can escape, and her sentence is left hanging.

Fang shakes her head, eyes closed. She pulls Vanille into a one-armed hug. "Now you stop that right now. It ain't your fault. You shouldn't be feelin' guilty; you saved the kid's life." Vanille shakes and it reverberates along her arm, so Fang pulls her into a tighter embrace, both arms encircling her younger friend. "Hope will be fine. Lightning and Sazh have the situation handled."

"...And Snow?"

She shrugs. "I think he's off alone. May be best to speak with him, so I'll be back later." Fang sighs, reaching for her spear. She stabs it into the ground, using it as leverage as she pulls upwards. Vanille clings onto her like a life line, but Fang doesn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"You wanna come with me to talk to him?"

Vanille glances back at camp, at Hope's sleeping figure, Sazh's concentrated yet worried face, and Lightning's constant pacing, eyes locked on their younger friend. She wants to go check on him, make sure he's okay for real. Because she can't seem to convince herself otherwise… But she can't trust herself. She fears going anywhere near Hope at the moment would cause her to break down into tears. And she doesn't want anyone seeing that for now. At least not for tonight. They all ready had enough food on their plate as it was.

"Yes. I'd... like that."

Fang smiles weakly at her, a reassurance. To anyone, it may have looked a bit modest, but Vanille knows Fang. And to her, it is literally one of the best comforts she's received all day.

* * *

**Author Note: **And if you look to your left, we have Hope drowning and Vanille angsting... *ahem*

Chapter 2 of "The Savior" is currently in progress. I'm editing a lot of parts in it, so it may take a bit. But it should be up before the weekend ends (I hope; I get back to work this week... yay summer work!)

Sorry I still haven't responded to any messages. Friday, I wasted my whole day (quite literally) on tumblr by setting up my Hope Estheim roleplaying blog. I didn't' understand the HTML codes so it took me… a while. And then I check the clock and it's midnight. Then the next day, I had to reply to some people who started a roleplay with me as well as settle out a buttload of errands which was also great.

Can I just say thank you Téa and Cocoon: You guys are freaking awesome for being so damn patient with me... You really don't know how much I appreciate it.

Thank you to _TheBlueCrystal _and _kaibasgirlx _for the reviews!

A major thank you to all of you guys who have reviewed so far and to my loyal readers. This fanfic is literally almost 30 reviews and it really cheers me up whenever a message gets dropped into my inbox! :D


	13. Dilly Dally, Shilly Shally

One Shot 13:

:: :: ::

Dilly Dally, Shilly Shally

:: :: ::

Fang's words from earlier had still stung.

Hope was still thinking of their earlier fight with the behemoth, and how they needed saving from Light and the rest. He had really screwed up. Pretty bad too. He almost got them _killed_. And despite his apology, Fang avoided him like the plague. He wasn't _that _mad with her; a bit upset, yes. And Lightning had assured him that it was nothing to get worked up about; Fang would be fine.

"You're not still upset about earlier, are ya?"

Vanille.

She knew he was upset, and the fact she hadn't said anything earlier that day fueled her confidence. Plopping down by his side on the small hill, she drew her knees up to her chest, neck craned to gaze up at the ebony black painting the sky. Vanille remembered when life was simple, just living a mundane life with Fang in Oerba. They would do this sort of thing, gaze at the stars that lit up the night. She believed in wishing on the brightest star, but Fang had called it childish.

(although Vanille would place all her gil that Fang _did _wish on stars despite her obvious denial.)

"It's really nice out, isn't it?" She hummed, leaning back on her hands.

No response.

She sighed. "Dilly dally, shilly shally."

_Now _he looked at her, and she had successfully coaxed out a, "What...? What does that even mean?"

Vanille giggled, smiling back. "What do you _think _it means?" She pulled him into a hug. "Don't take it to heart, Hope. Fang's just worried is all, she does care for you."

He scoffed, voice slightly muffled by her chest (and he was not thinking of that, nope. Naddah). "She has a really funny way of showing it." Gingerly, he pulled himself away from her, resting his forearm on a raised knee while the other hand toyed with the grass by his thigh. He refused to make eye contact. "I know I screwed up back there... I just had a lot on my mind... I didn't mean for it to get _that _out of control..." Hope averted his gaze to the sky, fingers finishing their tugs on the green blades rooted into the ground. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this... I don't have Light's strength, Snow's 'hard headedness'... Fang is out of the question, and Sazh is a pretty good Synergist himself..." He turned to her, blue eyes clashing with green. "And you're an... amazing Ravager, and a Healer. You're probably one of the strongest on the team." He sighed, looking away. "All I seem to do is just hold everyone back with— _Urf_!"

His sentence was cut off as Vanille _pushed him_ (yes! _Pushed_!) and he was thanking the God (Goddess, whichever) above that the hill was small because he practically tumbled to the base, finally sprawling out on his back, arms spread out to his sides. Hope sighed, too tired to protest. "Thanks..." he muttered sarcastically.

She rolled down not so long after, giggling as she rested her head on his chest. "You're welcome," She chirped happily, fiddling with the bangles around her wrists.

The look she received (of course she couldn't see it) was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "I was being sarcastic...?"

"I know."

He let his head fall back. "_Ugh_."

_I can't win with her_.

...But he had to admit, he wasn't really _uncomfortable_. It was nice, peaceful and tranquil – a good break from earlier. And it was quiet... He felt his eyelids slide shut, not minding one bit if sleep took him right then and there—

"Hope?"

_Well, so much for that_. "Mmm?"

She rotated so she was lying on her stomach to face him. "I know you feel as if you don't belong. Believe me, I felt like that too at first. But you're here for a reason; you do have a purpose. And your skills as a Ravager are good; they're not anywhere near bad. And healing? You're good at that too... Without you, Light and I would have quite a handful, and without your skills as a Synergist? Sazh is definitely balanced in that field, but imagine how tiring it would be if the buffing fell on his shoulders only." Vanille turned on her back. "I'm not saying you're just here for Chrystarium classes and stuff... You're a really great person too, and I do enjoy spending my time with you, together." She sighed heavily, hands resting atop her abdomen. "I... I don't know how you feel about me, but I'm glad you're my friend. Back in Oerba, Fang and I only had each other, and most of the villagers..." She swallowed thickly. "Well, I didn't get along with a lot of them... They hated me for some reason.

"But I'm not sure what I did wrong... Did I look at someone funny, or did I accidentally let something slip? I could've tried to learn what it was, but I guess I chose to run away instead. Even then, I fled from my troubles, no matter how small. But Hope, you are my best friend... Fang is my sister; not by blood, but I really do love her. She's been there for me as long as I can remember." A small smile crept across her lips and she closed her eyes. "I miss those days..." The content slipped from her face and her eyes opened yet again. "It's not the same now, with all this traveling. I care for you both a lot, Light and the others too..."

Hope was silent.

She narrowed her eyes, suddenly alert. "Hope?" Vanille looked over her shoulder and gapped.

He was asleep.

_Oh. Dear. Lord._

Her heart sank. She practically bared her inner self to him and he just... zonked out. Wow. That was new. Most guys would just brush her off, but this was definitely different. Vanille debated going back to camp, but she couldn't leave him out here alone… And he hadn't really... physically pushed her away, so-

"...Vanille."

She gave him a look, but only moved closer to him, bringing her legs so they touched his thigh. She moved her head to lay on his shoulder and rested her left hand on his chest. Despite the obvious affection, Vanille still kept her tone downplayed, trying to sound upset. "Oh, so you _are _awake? Or did you _just _wake up?"

He laughed lightly, bringing his right hand to rest atop hers. "You're kidding, right? You're talking could keep _anyone _awa— _Ow_! God, that _hurt_!"

"You're rotten," She giggled, retracting her hand after flicking his forehead. _Hard_.

"Thank you..." He mumbled, but no malice lingered in his tone.

Silence.

"Thanks though, really."

She looked up at him and he met her gaze, faces inches away from one another.

"I needed that. And… You mean a lot to me too." He smiled shyly. "I wouldn't get so upset about those people back in Oerba. They're just missing out on someone great."

Vanille felt hercheeks heat up from the praise and her lips parted (she was thankful he had turned to face the sky again). "I... I don't know what to say..." The heat was spreading from her cheeks to the rest of her face. "I..."

"Dilly dally, shilly shally."

"Hey, that's my line!"

Hope let out a one note laugh. "No it's not," he teased.

She laughed and soon, he joined in too, their voices mingling with one another, sounding like two instruments producing an in-sync melody.

"Hey, there you guys are, we- hey, hey, what's going on here?"

"_Kweh_!"

They gasped simultaneously, jerking their heads in the direction of the voice. The source was none other than Sazh, and next to him was Snow. Vanille immediately rolled off of him, and stood, Hope following suit. She didn't know it was possible, but she flushed darker, thanking the night sky hid her blush. "W-We were just talking, that's all!"

Snow grinned cheekily, and Hope just wanted to hit him. Badly. "Looks like you were doing more than just 'talking'. You'll have to be careful, Hope; if Fang finds out, you'll be next week's dinner." And he laughed, amused (Sazh gave him a wary look because, just like Hope, he knew that Fang probably _would _serve him on a silver platter and hang his carcass out to dry).

"S-Shut up..." Hope muttered, walking up hill, blushing. He offered his hand to Vanille, and she took it. He coughed violently as Snow clapped him on the back with much unneeded force. "Ow..." He pouted. "Still sore, you know? Kinda fell down the hill there..."

Vanille and Sazh both went on ahead, the former smiling warmly at Hope before turning back to her other friend. Snow, of course, caught this much to Hope's dismay, and decided it was a perfect time to pester Hope with questions on his feelings for Vanille. It would make a good story to tell Serah... Oh shi-

"Sooo..." Snow dragged out and Hope scowled, but he was oblivious to the warning. "You guys... you know..."

Hope's eyes widened and he tried pushing away from the taller man, results fruitless. "N-No we didn't! A-And if you tell Fang or Light about this I will haunt you for the r-rest of your life!" He stammered, face flushed.

"Hey, don't sweat it, kid," He ruffled Hope's hair, who responded with an irritated grown as protest. "Your secret's safe with me."

"...And Sazh?"

"And Sazh." Snow reassured, smirking at the humor of it all.

"...What about the Chocobo?"

The grin fell from his face. "Uh... Fang doesn't understand 'kwehs', does she?"

"Vanille did..."

Snow patted his shoulder, once, twice... "Well..." The smile sprung back to his face and he poked the boy's forehead with his forefinger before running ahead, like a child. "Nice knowin' ya!"

"_Snow_! She'll _kill me_!"

"Don't be silly!"

"No! She all ready threatened me a few days ago!" He let out a frustrated cry when the only response he received was Snow's laugh. "Please don't tell her!"

Yep. It was a rather lovely, peaceful night on Pulse.

And a few days later, Fang would pin Hope against a tree, lance at his throat while she spewed threats with Vanille assuring her that Hope was _not _making advances on her. And the Chocobo chick, who Hope thought he had a decent bond with, was officially on his shit list. Maybe it was the Chocobo's way of payback for almost squashing him with the melon that fell from the tree when they first arrived on Pulse...

* * *

**Author Note: **For those who were able to spot the Final Fantasy VIII reference (the VII was obvious; it's in the title and Vanille says it plenty of times), I will upload a Snow x Serah one shot that I've been working on for a livejournal challenge :) (it's a different style from here though, be warned)

Wow, this turned out longer than I thought. And yes, Hope and Vanille did get a bit more intimate in this one, but nothing romantic (not yet LOL). Yes, this was a **direct sequel **from chapter 10 :)

So uh... I have not been here in days. I've been on tumblr roleplaying as Hope Estheim, and if you guys know any Vanille roleplayers, please let me know! I'm not saying the ones who all ready have established relationships; I mean the ones who are kinda new, kinda not...? Anyway, here's chapter 13.

Thank you to _Cocoon02, kaibasgirlx, TheBlueCrystal, _and _tghn _for the reviews!

Thank you to _mythologyfreakgirl _for the alert!


	14. Hand

14:

:: :: ::

Hand

:: :: ::

"Okay," she sighed, lips puckered in a childish pout. "I admit: I was distracted_—_"

"More like _careless_," He snapped, placing a hand over the rather nasty gnash painting her shoulder. Light blue wisps of magic wove around his fingers, dancing along the wound before they slowly stitched the injury back together. She was quiet at the quick retort he had given her, looking away. She hadn't meant to turn away from approaching danger and more so it was not her intention to lazily cast elemental spells at the horde of enemies. They didn't seem threatening, but when she felt the beast puncture her shoulder, bringing her to the ground, she instantly realized her mistake.

And Hope was _not _pleased.

Vanille planted her hands into the ground, grass prickling at the soft flesh of her hands. She understood why he was frustrated. The fight against a rather aggressive adamantoise resulting in a rather badly wounded Lightning had quite the impact. It just wouldn't give up the fight; it targeted the strongest in their current paradigm: Light. Fang was there as well, but provoking it, using Medguard and whatever Sentinel spells she knew, wasn't enough. And Hope was good with ranged attacks. Engaging face-to-face with the adamantoise would not have been a wise choice for him. Perhaps he blamed himself being unable to heal in time. Perhaps he was scarred (most likely) by the monster's repeating attacks and stomps on his mentor and friend.

Lightning recovered in time with the combined heal spells from Vanille and Hope himself. But everyone had refused to let her take lead for a while.

Sure the former soldier was rather pissed ("Quit treating me like a damn kid!"), but she cooperated, taking a backseat on further scouting adventures.

Which left it up to Hope, Vanille, and Sazh – for this day, at least.

Snow and Fang kept watch over Lightning, guarding her (and making sure she didn't get up to do something reckless).

"I think I'm fine now, Hope." Vanille reassured with a sigh. Silence reached her ears before she heard the shuffling of grass as he pulled himself up. He offered her a hand which she took, pain no longer pulsating through her shoulder. She could see Sazh a distance away, looking around with Chocobo scanning the opposite direction, kwehing occasionally.

Hope drew a hand across his forehead. "Just be careful, all right?" he glanced once before making way to Sazh.

Vanille found it to be quite ironic that this was the same boy who hid behind others, fled from danger, and pushed away anyone who came here. She noticed that ever since he followed Lightning, he changed. And indeed, she could tell that Hope liked her quite a bit, actually. Not that she couldn't blame him; Lightning did a lot _for _him and there was definitely a growing bond. But sometimes, and she knew it was awful to think, she wished she had helped him the way Light did. Instead, she worried about herself.

And that alone saps away strength at each step, walking towards Sazh and Hope.

"I don't think there's anything out there," Sazh reported, looking out at the endless hills. "Still. Might be best to head back and stay there for the night."

Hope nodded, and Vanille made an affirmative noise in the back of her throat.

Vanille had been quiet for the rest of the day, thinking of Hope and Light, the fight that left Lightning in danger... She hadn't realized how wrapped up she was until Hope called her out when they were a little ways from their campfire. Nobody's head jerked up at his voice, too engrossed in their own conversations.

"No, I'm fine, really." She responded, subconsciously grasping her hands. "I've just... got a lot on my mind."

His eyebrows furrowed in thought, and when she refused to say anything else, he spoke. "Hey, I'm... sorry, about earlier. For yelling like that." The words came out slowly at first, but Vanille knew he was being honest. "I just… After what happened with Light... I don't want the same thing happening to you. To anyone, I mean."

"You didn't _yell_," Vanille said, pulling her legs up to her chest. "And I understand; it's all right, really."

"...So why are you mad?"

Her head whipped towards his, alarmed. "I-I'm not mad! I'm just thinking, that's all. And it's not about what happened earlier, Hope, I swear. It's just everything that's happened so far I mean..." She shrugged. "You've changed, Hope. A _lot_. And I don't mean in a _bad _way... I'm just a bit behind, that's all."

"I've... changed?" he sounded confused, and she flushed at his reaction. "Yeah, I guess... I guess I have." He averted his gaze to the distant fire, to their friends. "But... so have you. We both did. And it's like you said: Not in a bad way. Maybe all it took was some time away from one another." He leaned back on his hands, looking up at Pulse's clear sky. "Light did teach me a lot, and you learnt from Sazh, right? Maybe... It was for a reason. I mean if we all stayed together as one group, we probably would've been at each other's throats. And if none of that happened..." Hope's eyes were distant, remembering the time he stood over Snow, knife in hand, feeling nothing but rage and absolute anger. "...we wouldn't be where we are now."

Vanille said nothing, looking down, avoiding eyes. "...You really think so?"

"No. I _know_ so." The rather witty (to her, at least) comment coaxed out a light laugh from them both, Vanille's lips curving upward in a soft smile.

"Yeah... I suppose you are." She gazed out at the others. Her _family_. If none of those events happened from the splitting up to being captured, where _would _they be? Still arguing because they couldn't cooperate to complete their focus? She didn't want to think about it. It was a dark path; that's all she needed to know.

Vanille stiffened slightly as his hand rested over hers. He obviously felt the jerk and pulled away himself, but she gave him a silent reassurance and he returned.

She'd definitely choose the present she lived now over the possibilities of the past.

* * *

**Author Note: **Eeeeh, prompt given to me by Yamadori, therefore it's dedicated to her (no matter how badly this was written). And oh my God, this was just bad... I had other ideas running through my mind and my writing paid for it. Bleh... Stupid me...

Anyway: For the readers of "Savior", I am deleting it and replacing it with another fanfic. My mind's made up. I do have the first chapter in mind so keep your eyes peeled for the story itself! It is similar to Savior, only I'm mixing things up a bit. And because of a major change, things will definitely have different outcomes and possibilities.

And forgive my absence; I've been on tumblr .-.

Thank you to _Cocoon02, TheBlueCrystal, spliced teacup_, and _midnightoasis _for the reviews!

Thank you to_ midnightoasis _for the fave!

Thank you to _midnightoasis _and _Sharkey52 _for the alerts!


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